Celeb Chat

Urmila Matondkar -- Coming up: three more in a row
Flop, hit or in between, Urmila Matondkar has always been special. There’s a sense of supreme selfconfidence in her bearing that rivals interpret as arrogance and friends know to be self-esteem. An actress from childhood, success and failure are hardly strangers to Urmila. She has seen it all. Therefore the spate of recent flops don’t daunt her. Besides, who can claim that Urmila performed below par in Hum Tumpe Marte Hain, Mast, Dillagi or Khubsoorat? Though the films fared badly, Urmila came in for praise in all of them. Of late she has been lying low, "not because I’m off press, but because I’ve had nothing to say." With three exciting films, David Dhawan’s Kunwara, Ram Gopal Varma’s Jungle and Harry Baweja’s Deewane slated for release, Urmila’s ready to strike again.

According to a certain section of the press, you stopped giving interviews recently because of your flops. Everything that’s written about a star has to be taken with a pinch of salt. It serves no purpose to react to everything that’s written.

One of your colleagues recently said she doesn’t care what’s written about her as long as the pictures are fetching.
(Bursts into laughter) That’s quite hilarious, really. I don’t know what to say to that. But I really think that the quality of the written word needs to improve. Gossip journalists need to wake up and smell the warpaint. I’m just fed up of answering the same old questions.

You’ve been acting from childhood and yet you remain rooted to reality in real life. How come?
You know, once a leading Hollywood star said, "Everyone wants to be Cary Grant, including Cary Grant himself." That’s exactly how I’d like to put it. When I’m not acting, I’m not a character named Urmila.

Your appearance in Jungle is quite different from the rest of your films.
That’s what being an actress is all about. The deglamorized look is nothing new for me. It happened in the bachpan of my career, and in Satya and Kaun, and to a great extent in Judaai also.

But you were very glamorous in Judaai. Just because you wore saris in it doesn’t make the character deglamorized.
But in its essence the character was deglamorized. I looked glamorous because I have a glamour-oriented image. I tried to sober down the character in Judaai, as in Satya and Kaun. But I feel in terms of deglamorization, Jungle is leagues ahead of the other three. While doing Jungle, I wasn’t bothered about the glamour-content. I was only aware that I was again doing a very realistic film with a power-packed performance. In a film like this, anything out of character becomes glaringly obvious. It was Ramuji’s idea to have me in a completely Indian look for Jungle. When you see the film you’ll know why I look the way I do. We had a very definite image of the way the girl should look. She’s a very rich, cultured, sophisticated, classy girl. I feel Jungle is going to be a milestone in my career. As for the physical hardships during the making of Jungle, we can do a whole interview on that alone. I have got enough trophies all over my person to show what I’ve gone through. But I wasn’t perturbed. I was so involved with the character, it was almost like Kaun. I recently dubbed for the picture. I’m not unhappy with my performance. I’ll die the day I’m completely satisfied with my performance. But I’m satisfied, though I don’t expect any critical acclaim for it.

Why do you feel that way?.
(Laughs) I’m not talking.

What do you play in Deewane?
Again the brief I gave to Manish Malhotra is that of a very sophisticated girl. Very Sadhana-like. Each time she enters the room, you can smell the French perfume. Someone immaculate. Then she goes through experiences that change her life. Deewane is a love story, though Ajay Devgan has done some thrilling stunts. But these stunts are an integral part of the script. This is an out-and-out commercial film. I won’t call it a masala film. I hate that term. I can’t talk even remotely ill of my films. I’m too possessive about them. In all my forthcoming films, I’m well placed.

Are you hopeful about all three films?
We have to be hopeful about everything in life (laughs). Otherwise, what’s the point of doing anything?

You’ve gone through a gamut of co-stars, from Ravi Behl in Narasimha to Rishi Kapoor in Shriman Aashique to Fardeen Khan, Govinda and Ajay Devgan who are all first-timers for you?
Not quite. I’ve done a film earlier with Ajay called Kanoon. We were both disastrous in it. Yes, that’s quite a number of co-stars. I just like my artistes for what they are. All my co-stars are interesting to me as artistes. All of us have our forte. I have never had any problem with any co-star.

You stopped signing films lately. Why?
I didn’t stop signing films. I just put a brake on my career. I felt bad when my films started going wrong during the making. The whole of last year, I’ve had people telling me, "You were good but your pictures were not." I never claim to make perfect choices. I can only choose from whatever is offered to me. I can’t go beyond what I get. It really hurts when the film you’ve signed turns out differently from what it was meant to be. I’m too passionate to be getting so involved each time with my role only to be let down.

So you’ve decided to be even more choosy now?
I wish we didn’t have to use words like choosy. But yes, I guess that’s what I’ve become. I have only signed one new film, to be directed by Rajat Mukherjee and co-starring Fardeen again. I’ve never been so excited about any of the characters I’ve played. That’s all I can say now.

Rajat Mukherjee’s is the only film you have signed?
Yes for now. As for tomorrow who knows? I might be doing ten films. But one cannot be sure about commercial successs. With the kind of outcome at the box-office these days, I don’t think even the biggest of makers can ensure a hit today.

Subhash K Jha